Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines

Hal Harris | Mon, 09/01/2008 - 01:00

The Presidential campaign to this point has been waged so devoid of issues that one might think that there is nothing to discuss other than lipstick and the number of houses the candidates own. Beyond such trivialities as foreign policy, health care, immigration and the war(s), there a few minor issues that have something to do with science. One could make the case that the most important questions facing the new President will be ones in which science is key. The candidates should be asked - or they should be asking one another - about technological aspects of terrorism, climate change and alternative energy sources, stem cell research, nuclear power, and space exploration, to mention a few. The rest of us should demand that the campaigns address these questions and the candidates ought to be expected to know something about science, even if their degrees are from a military academy, or are in law or communications-journalism, it is not too much to expect that they understand something of science. Univesity of California Professor of Physics Richard Muller has put together a course just for them, but the rest of use can benefit from it as well. If it is not convenient for you to attend Cal Berkeley, you can either pick up this excellent book, or you can view his course on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=095393D5B42B2266.